Practice
by Mireyeh
Summary: Another one-shot. A fierce battle quickly turns more painful than he originally anticipated.


**A/N: Another boring day at the office = another Kahlan and Richard fic. This one was inspired by true events with me and my fiancé. If you're a man reading this, I apologize ahead of time, lol. Enjoy!**

**Practice**

She was his…he hid himself conspicuously between two massive boulders, sheltering himself from her sight. He could see her long, dark brown hair glistening in the sunlight as she walked the path, her thumbs holding her pack in place on her shoulders. He could see his breath in the cool morning air and he adjusted himself slightly so he'd be able to pounce as she walked by.

Such an easy target she was, to any lonesome thief or beggar walking the trails…any untrained thief or beggar who didn't know who she was. Within minutes, they would have a battle and he knew it. He wasn't being stupid about his onslaught…he knew the potential dangers in his task that lay ahead.

He scrunched lower, being careful to be as quiet as he could. He could hear her humming lightly to herself, oblivious to the dangers that lurked just beyond. He almost smiled…this would be easier than he had originally anticipated.

He grasped the hilt of his sword as he prepared himself for the attack. He knew she had daggers and he had prepared himself for it. Any Confessor was a formidable foe and was trained well with fighting. He had watched her for some time, learned her moves, her attack style. He knew where she would go and would match her skill. He was happy for the challenge.

She was walking closer. He leaned his back against the cold stone and turned his head to listen for her boots as they neared closer to him. He counted in his head, knowing exactly how many steps it would take her before she was completely vulnerable to his attack.

She slowed her pace slightly, but he didn't know why. He heard her bend over. His face scrunched up into a frown as he waited patiently. He let out a silent breath as she continued her walk, sniffing at the flower she had just picked. Of course… a flower, he rolled his brown eyes. His annoyance was quickly discarded when she alas reached the point of attack.

Richard jumped out from behind the rock and sprung behind her, grasping hold of her arms before she could reach for her dagger, "oh come on, Kahlan." He panted as she struggled away from his grasp, "that was far too easy," he proclaimed, laughing as she struggled. Kahlan couldn't get her arms out of his iron grip. She looked over at him and a sly smile came to her lips. She lifted her foot up behind her and kicked his shin. Hard. He let go of her immediately to tend to his sore shin. She grinned and pulled out her daggers, ready for battle.

Ignoring the throbbing pain in his shin, he pulled loose his sword and held it out, a small smile on his face. Kahlan smiled back, ready to fight. "Ready, Mother Confessor?" he questioned, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Just waiting on you," she proclaimed. He attacked first, driving her back a few steps. She was good with her daggers, but Richard was better. He matched her speed, her cuts and blows. She was becoming more and more frustrated and pushed even harder. He was impressed by her speed and agility. As a man, he wasn't able to move the way she did and found himself blocking moves he wasn't used to blocking as most men fought differently than she. He shoved her back, forcefully when their weapons clashed. He hadn't realized he had pushed her so hard when she was flung back into the tree behind her. She let out a grunt as the wind was knocked from her. She winced in pain and held her arm out to him for him to stop. He was already at her side.

"Kahlan, I'm so sorry, sometimes I don't know my own…" he was cut off when she tore his legs from underneath him in one swift movement of her leg and he fell hard on his back on the gravel below. She jumped on top of him and pinned his legs down with hers. She held his hands by his wrists at his sides. She grinned down at him in victory.

"Don't underestimate me," she laughed, "I'm not just some feeble woman who…" this time she was cut off as he easily pushed her off of him. She flew back and he stood once again with his sword directed at her.

"You were saying?" he said with a cocky grin. Kahlan growled and jumped to her feet. This time, she attacked first, driving her dagger towards his stomach, his neck, his arm, anywhere she could get it – without hurting him of course. He blocked her moves and attacked her, flinging his sword over top her head as she ducked. He moved with precision and didn't waste any energy over-exerting himself. Kahlan, when she fought, looked as though it were a dance. Even her blows were as graceful as she. He was often mesmerized by her ability to put him in an entrancement when she fought. He shook the feelings aside as he pressed her harder, trying to challenge her.

She managed to back him up against a pine tree as they fought and was about to make her final blow to his head when he ducked and swooped underneath her arm. He caught her just as she turned and they both tell to the gravel floor with a thud. She was quick to try and squirm away. She would easily overpower a smaller man, but with Richard, she didn't have a chance. He grabbed both wrists and held them firm to the ground with her daggers still clutched in her fingers. His legs wrapped around hers and he had his full weight on her limbs. She grunted and tried pushing away from him. He pushed hard, but not hard enough to hurt her.

Kahlan huffed, her chest heaving from the effort and her hair was thrown across her face as she breathed. Richard grinned down at her in victory, happy to have won. As angry as she was for losing, she couldn't help but smile at his goofy grin. He always won though. It was getting frustrating. Just once she would like to claim victory. She struggled some more, suddenly not ready to let him win. She had to claim this round…every time they fought, he won…it wasn't fair. It was her turn.

Without even thinking, instinctively, she pulled her right leg free from under him and brought it up between his legs in one swift movement. When her knee collided with his manhood, he immediately let her go and rolled on to his back, his one hand holding his groin while the other gripped on to the grass beside him. His face was contorted in pain and Kahlan immediately regretted what she had done. She stood up and went to his side as quickly as possible, putting a hand to his shoulder.

"Richard, I'm so sorry, I wasn't thinking…" he held his hand out, stopping her. He still hadn't let out the breath he was holding in as he rolled to his side, still grasping his groin. Though he was racked in pain, Kahlan could see in his eyes that he was angry. She swallowed hard and kneeled beside him, her hand that was on his arm fell to her side as she sat there in shame.

Richard finally was able to stand and put a hand on a nearby tree trunk to stabilize himself. Kahlan still sat, waiting for his onslaught of heated words.

"Richard…"she began, he cut her off.

"I'm just going to go… I need to check… I'll be back," he hobbled off into the trees, sword in hand. Kahlan ran a hand down her knotted locks and grabbed her daggers off the ground. She felt terrible for what she had done. It was done purely on instinct and she didn't even think twice about it. She was so used to fighting with intent that when they played around, it was often hard for her to hold back at times. He was strong and could usually handle the odd blows he did receive, but when it came to…well, most men would be in excruciating pain from what she had done.

Picking up her pack, she headed back to their camp, hoping Richard would be all right.

* * *

He came back to camp within half hour. He was walking up straight again, so that was a good sign. She couldn't look up at him as she placed more wood on the fire pit. Zedd was gone picking some berries so they were left alone. She had been preparing herself for his words and was going to gracefully accept anything he said to her. She steeled herself when she heard his boots skim across the encampment.

"Well," he said and slowly sat down, "no permanent damage done," he rested his head against a tree behind him. His eyes burned into her, "at least I now know you can handle yourself against any man's attack," she could tell he was smiling. She lifted her head from her work and gave him a small smile, happy he wasn't irate with her.

"I'm sorry, Richard," she gave him a pained look and glanced towards his groin quickly, "I wasn't thinking. It was instinctive. I just knew I needed to win and that was the only way of doing it…or so I assumed," she looked away from his penetrating brown eyes. He shifted in his seat slightly to get more comfortable.

"Well, I'd definitely hate to be any man you were really fighting with," he sighed, "but it's alright. I understand." He wiped a hand through his hair and winced at the slightest movement.

Kahlan bit her bottom lip in worry, "how is…it?" she questioned, not really knowing how to ask him such a question.

He sucked in a breath as he sat up more and looked at her, "I won't lie to you, it's pretty sore," he gave her a look, "there's some bruising. But I'd have to take my pants off to show you." He smiled at her, his brown eyes sparkling. Kahlan turned her face away as she felt all the blood rush to her cheeks in embarrassment. He laughed at her reaction.

"There. Now we're even," he smiled at her. Kahlan shot him a hot glare and he laughed all the more. She turned her attention back to the fire and tried not to think of Richard…and the damage she had done to his manhood.

.


End file.
